Organizational Career Management and Development - Essay Example

Career Management Contents Introduction 2.Significance of Career Management 3 3.The Need for Career Management 8 4.Benefits of Organizational Career Management 9 5.Barriers in Effectual Career Management 10 6.Recommendations 12 7.Conclusion 12 8.Bibliography 13 1. Introduction Career management is the dynamic and recurring practice of evaluating the ambitions and capabilities of employees, planning of their career and counseling, as well as coaching and guiding them on their individual development. The process of career management further distributes in duo streams that are individual and organizational career management, respectively. "Individual career management" is a procedure where a individual acquire control over his policies or career by recognizing career-related objectives, potency, flaws and then executes the viable measures to attain these self-set career aspirations. (ELLEN ERNST KOSSEK, KAREN ROBERTS, 1998) According to Kossek & Roberts, self-set managing activities mainly includes acquiring knowledge about one's personality, set of connections and appreciation on successfully completion of the assignments in the course of career development within an institution. (ELLEN ERNST KOSSEK, KAREN ROBERTS, 1998) On the other hand, "organizational career management" expresses the course of action adapted by the organizations to manage the careers of its workers. As per the theories of Stump, the Organizational career management is "actions and prospects that organizations support to help guarantee they will congregate or surpass their expected human resource necessities." (ELLEN ERNST KOSSEK, KAREN ROBERTS, 1998) Stumpf also reveals in his theory that the career corridors, worker education & development, employment postings, vocation therapies, outplacement psychotherapies and mentoring are merely few measures that are usually implemented in organizational career management agendas. (STUMPF, S.A., 1988) Loads of scholars have cited the work of Arnold (1997) who in his theories had explained career management as an endeavor to influence the career development of others. According to the Arnold the career development is the technique in which an employee's career grows and improvizes over time for instance, making headway from an entrance level designation to a higher-ranking designation. (ARNOLD, John, 1997) There has been occurrence of elementary shifts in the management of careers however, while previously careers were managed by the organizations by way of conventional and secure progress upwards on organizationally-defined ladders on the other hand the present-day arrangement of career management focuses on attaining knowledge and proficiencies as an alternative of making headway through a preset sequence of positions. (THITE, Mohan, 2001) Acquirement of novel acquaintance and talents increase the chances of "employability," i.e. the capability for the member of staff to achieve and sustain employment, facilitating the worker to budge around what Thite had referred to as a "jungle gym" of designations. (CLARKE, Marilyn, 2007) This novel conceptual framework of career management constitutes diverse meaning for mutually, the individual and the organization, getting forward to a dual way approach towards "career management, individual career management and organizational career management." (BARUCH, Y., 2006) This paper hereby evaluates the significance of career Management as an essential component of Human Resource activities from the joint perception of the organization as well as individual employees. This paper also highlights the obstructions that are usually encountered by HR professionals in implementing the career management program in an organization in addition with the measures that could be implemented to evade these barricades. This paper provides brief opinions of a number of researchers and authors on the topic. 2. Significance of Career Management The incorporation of the career management practice in HRM permits the shifting from a scheme of administration through authoritarian control to an authorized labor force that is capable to formulate judgments. (ARMSTRONG, Michael, 2006) As per the workings of author Michael Armstrong, it is revealed that in array to sustain the stability of an organization, future managers should be employed through career development of the performing subordinate employees who proves their capability to lead. It makes certain that the largest parts of productive employees are retained within the organization. (ARMSTRONG, Michael, 2006) "Michael Armstrong" in his book further emphasizes that it is possible to acquire competent managers via external sources, which may trim down the costs of training existing personnel for prospect management responsibilities. (ARMSTRONG, Michael, 2006) On the other hand, the research work done by John Arnold reveals that career management facilitates resource planning in a business. (ARNOLD, John, 1997) It can possibly be improved through career improvement whereby stratagems are urbanized in a way that counterparts with the quantity and expertise of the workforce to their requirements. It assists in the optimization of the distribution of tasks in array to make possible the apprehension of an organization's goals. The workers become equipped to cope with external factors that may affect performance. (ARNOLD, John, 1997) Arnold also criticizes the career management as it is must for workers to undertake added refresher classes and training in novel technologies in array to remain proficient in errands in addition with performing their old duties. (ARNOLD, John, 1997) The change to the service segment from the manufacturing segment over and above the increase in the utilization of e - technology has principally exaggerated job development. Several employees for instance are forced to take their computer skills on advanced levels as innovations are included in the manufacturing process periodically. (ARNOLD, John, 1997) Career management scholars recommend that job management requests to be a combined endeavor. "Douglas T. Hall and Jonathan E. Moss" (1998) recommended that it is superlative for company to adapt a relational loom, providing resources to the staff to avert stagnation devoid of attempting to handle the workers careers on behalf of them. These resources comprise introduction of innovative job confronts or assignment, net support to fabricate novel associations in the organization, or novel assignments that educate up-to-the-minute expertise. (MOSS, Douglas T. Hall and Jonathan E., 1998) Whereas, Thite (2001) affirmed if companies acquire the "what can you do for us" approach, they must not be shocked by the lack of worker faithfulness and pledge; businesses are required to offer in first place for employees if they anticipate workers to endow with valued recital and fidelity towards the company. (THITE, Mohan, 2001) Based on the previous work done by the researchers it is revealed that the career management, if executed effectively might help in improvisation of certain organizational issues that every HRM professional encounters with, some of those are discussed below: 2.2 Improved Productivity Via effectual implementation of a career development or management program, the issue of under-performance by the staff on lace of work can be trimmed down to nil making it easy to understand for staff that they are respected by the management. (HARRINGTON, Brad, 2007) It aids to cultivate the most wanted binder amongst them leading to improved job recital. Training is also a tool for improvement of skills and interest in the work. It upholds inventiveness and dependability amongst employees. Through career development, workers feel recognized by the management for their efforts in realization of organizational goals. (HARRINGTON, Brad, 2007) Workers are allowed to specialize and become perfect in particular fields within the organization. Further training on the specialized fields improves worker performance; thereby improving the overall performance of the organization for example Cancer Research UK is one organization that embarked on improvement of the skills of the intermediate managers through training. This career development program was meant to improve the ability of the managers in fundraising as well as developing effective marketing strategies. (HARRINGTON, Brad, 2007) It has assisted in staff retention and commitment in achievement of the organizational objectives. The training involves formal education, development projects as well as mentorship programs. It has boosted the leadership potential in the organization due to the resulting expertise and specialized skills. Conversely, a highly specialized work force might be disadvantageous especially when such workers leave the organization. They usually create a gap that takes long to fill, and this may lead to a decline in an organization's productivity. (MCKENNA, Eugene, 2008) Emphasizing on training, explaining processes, giving instructions on particular tasks and regular worker upgrading is fundamental to realization of the customers' requirements. Workers' performance is reinforced in order thereby instilling positive thoughts in them regarding the managers as well as the customers. (GREENHAUS, Jeffrey H., 2000) Career development enables managers to recruit into service employees who are competent in doing a particular job. Upgrading the skills of supervisors is fundamental in maintaining good performance amongst workers. (MCKENNA, Eugene, 2008) 2.3 Organizational Change Career development promotes organizational change. Programs such as team building ensure that workers are empowered to perform their duties confidently while improving their skills. Cooperation is a way of encouraging participative running of an organization. (ANDERSON, Donald L, 2009) Promotion of self-directed work groups is an important illustration of development of the participative management model. In cooperation, workers and their overseers have to gain knowledge and put into practice new skills and approaches while developing new responsibilities and conduct while working with one another. (ANDERSON, Donald L, 2009) After training of staff, the management becomes convinced that they are capable of undertaking new roles within the organization. They are mostly redeployed to new areas that require wider experience. This mainly appropriate for organizations that intend to operate globally, such as Henderson Global Investors. The company promotes career development for its employees in professional and technical training, public relations, administration and Information Technology. It also offers sponsorship for further studies. The qualified employees manage global subsidiaries. (ANDERSON, Donald L, 2009) Apart from improving the current performance of workers, career development plays a significant role in equipping the workers for prospective professional requirements. They become prepared for any eventuality which they begin viewing as an opportunity rather than threat. (ARTHUR, Michael, 1999) These may be needed especially in cases where there are rapid technological advancements which need to be incorporated in to the production system as they arise. The organization may be aspiring to expand in certain fields in future. (ANDERSON, Donald L, 2009) To minimize the costs of outsourcing, the organization may utilize the available human resources through career development. Training of managers is also significant in ensuring that managerial and supervisory activities are effective. 2.4 Employee Retention Many organizations are usually concerned with ensuring that they are able to retain the highly valued employees whose skills are essential to the success of the organization. They are usually drawn from across all levels of the organizational structure, ranging from the senior employees to the junior staff who may become future managers in the organization for example the National Health Service has recently engaged in a career development plan which is aimed at improving health care services. (ROTHWELL, William J., 2005) Career management is also essential in retaining the employees from the marginalized populations in the labor force. These include women and the disabled. It allows them to gain experience while coping with other family duties. It is important in maintaining work life balance. (ROTHWELL, William J., 2005) According to a survey conducted by "Unisys IT Company," women and youthful workers in the United Kingdom are declining in productivity due to problems associated with relationship problems as well as stress that is usually caused by working practices that do not promote work-life balance. People always prefer employment in flexible organizations that provide room for career development. An organization is therefore capable of attracting experienced and skilled professionals through allowing career development amongst employees. This is achieved through training and offering personal improvement facilities. (HERRIOT, Peter, 1992) However, Arne (2004) views flexibility as a practice that may be difficult and costly to manage, because it may require an organization to higher a large labor force especially where flexible working is involved. The extra costs may affect the organizations' profitability. (ROTHWELL, William J., 2005) 2.5 Diversity of Knowledge The significance of career management to the employees is far reaching. They can benefit through lateral movement whereby they change their responsibilities while working in the same organization. Such career management can help them in long-standing career planning whereby the skills as well as experience become broad, improving their prospects for promotion. (YARNALL, Jane, 2007) More over, the wide knowledge and skills improves the chances for getting better employment in other organizations. The workers become an important asset for the organization since they can take up the responsibilities of other employees in case of absence. On the other hand, the employee becomes motivated due to avoidance of boredom which could be caused by monotony of work. A change of responsibility makes the employees to feel fresh and ready to cope with new challenges. The benefits of this are two fold in the sense that it boosts the employee retention as well as improvement in the overall productivity. (YARNALL, Jane, 2007) Due to the rising competition in the labor market, it is important for employees to posses a diversity of knowledge and skills, develop teamwork skills, adapt fast to upcoming technologies, be able to take responsibilities and make the right decisions. This is achieved through the right career development strategies. It helps workers to overcome the challenges faced in the workplace due to the decline in opportunities for promotion. (YARNALL, Jane, 2007) Promotion and job security are also part of the reasons that necessitate career management in employees. The skills and experience gained within an organization improve the competitiveness of an employee outside the organization. This is because the organization may not be in a capacity to offer promotions that match the experience and expertise of an employee who has worked for several years, but there might be other organizations that require such skills. With this understanding, employees tend to take issues regarding career development seriously. (YARNALL, Jane, 2007) 3. The Need for Career Management Careers & organizations have persistent to revolutionize at a speedy pace ensuing from better globalization, invariable technical advances and organizational focus on unremitting development. (JACKSON, Tricia, 2000) Consequently, employees ought to possess the appropriate skills, information and mind-set to become accustomed to the modifications promptly and optimistically. (YAN ZHENG, Brian H Kleiner, 2001) For years, forecast and deliberations have thrived regarding the impending labor deficiency, signifying that smaller number of people would be obtainable to acquire key jobs. Latest works done by the researchers demonstrate that the anticipated labor shortage has turned out to be realism. "Development Dimensions International" carried out a selection estimate in 2006-07 foundational on reaction from 1,240 hiring managers, 3,715 employment seekers and 625 staffing directors from 5 different international regions. The selection forecast designated that the demand for talent is a dilemma that has augmented noticeably since 2005-06 and is only anticipated to get worse time. (YAN ZHENG, Brian H Kleiner, 2001) An investigation into relevant field done by "Khandekar and Sharma" (2005) specifies that the focus on rational capital is a way of mutually sustaining a viable gain and improving the probability of endurance in today's modern trade world. (ARADHNA KHANDEKAR, Anuradha Sharma, 2005) Owing to require for retaining and developing intellectual resources, organizations usually take a glance at investing in worker progression and career management as technique to restrain talent from exiting the organization. (ARADHNA KHANDEKAR, Anuradha Sharma, 2005) 4. Benefits of Organizational Career Management Organizational career management offers several advantages to mutually employees as well as organizations. Not only it provides chances for the individual's to grow his or her career, it also supports the ethnicity and preserve talent in an organization. (JACKSON, Tricia, 2000) An investigation by "Krystyna Joanna Zaleska" found an individual's vow to the institution augmented when occupied in career improvement activities like on-job challenge, peripheral training & education and mentoring, excluding for top management rank employees who probably be short of growing mobility owing to devastating organizational structures. (ZALESKA, Krystyna Joanna, 2007) These consequences are unswerving with preceding study by "Orpen" who found that workers who are less exposed towards career management programs from their organizations include subordinate career fulfillment. (ORPEN, Christopher, 1994) Sturges (2005) affirm that organizational career management is imperative to organizational feasibility in that it supports the accomplishment of the psychosomatic bond. (STURGES, Jane, 2005) 4.1 The Psychosomatic Bond The psychosomatic bond comprises a non-documented values and prospects of give-and-take relations and responsibilities between workers and their employers. The foremost assertion of the psychosomatic bond is that a shared understanding crop up that attachment to both parties like that if a member of staff deems that he or she is compelled to do something for the organization then the employee starts to consider that the company owes him or her something in response for instance, career development support. (ROUSSEAU, Denise M., 2001 ) Infringement of the psychosomatic bond can root tribulations with accepting the function and errands implicated in career management. In accordance to the work done by "Rousseau" (2001) it is revealed that the groundwork for a psychosomatic bond is frequently found during pre-employment and staffing or early in service by means of socialization. (ROUSSEAU, Denise M., 2001 ) Rousseau in his research work also points out the individual's expectations usually are negligible primarily but subsequently erect developing from lone belief to a number of beliefs. Such viewpoint often outline when there is unfinished information is available on behalf of any party, for instance when a fresh recruit do not contain all the facts about a business or a corporation does not comprise all the factual knowledge with reference to an employee. (ROUSSEAU, Denise M., 2001 ) Rousseau's recommends that hopes can vary based on tenure of practice in a profession but that some sort of joint understanding is required for mutual parties to attain their goals. (ROUSSEAU, Denise M., 2001 ) The advancement of the psychosomatic bond is imperative to imitate the novel employment association. 5. Barriers in Effectual Career Management Organizational career management is not a magic potion for human resource management obscurities nor is the method liberated of its own evils. The workforce lays in a noteworthy evolution as workers are gaining erudition on how to be more sovereign with their careers. (TORRINGTON, Derek, 1998, 4th Edition) Usually, employees don't have access to the information pertaining to "what to do or how to do it," it is evident that very less people are alarmed about their future or be acquainted with sort of manageable talents they own. (CLARKE, Marilyn, 2007) Here, organizations come into picture with coaching programs to aid their staff members in formulating the conversion in intriguing a little control over their careers. As per the researcher, "Raymond A. Noe", the career management programs may perhaps be unsuccessful as a number of recruits possibly will in no way get drawn in the programs presented while others might not at all be pleased with their careers, regardless of whatever attempts the organization put together. (NOE, Raymond A., 1996) The lack of fulfillment with career management programs by a number of human resources, though, might be a task of how the workers assess themselves in stipulations of self-respect, mastery and psychological steadiness rather than troubles with the job management program itself. (TORRINGTON, Derek, 1998, 4th Edition) There are innumerable aspects that influence the accomplishment of career management programs. 1. Organizational size - The mass of an organization influences the affectivity to which an organization is able to execute career management programs. "Skill-building" consumes large point in time so large organizations are more proactive in career management; SME's usually don't have the resources required to be proactive. (THITE, Mohan, 2001) 2. Organizational infrastructure - It influences the efficacy of career management endeavors. While workers are anticipated to manage their career in accordance with their capabilities, human resources are mainly victorious when their corporation assists with vicinities that are out of the workers control, for instance providing configuration together with plans to shore up career management counting on training for staff in job planning, awareness about job openings and profession course alternatives that are available. (THITE, Mohan, 2001) "Lillian T. Eby, Tammy D. Allen and Andi Brinley" evaluated the agenda of Career Management and states that as in-house employment market information and career searching aid people to be aware of their aim's and capacity, these activities do not outcome in superior employee happiness with promotions. (LILLIAN T. EBY, Tammy D. Allen, Andi Brinley, 2005) People have a propensity to have augmented contentment with promotions and inferior discernment of "job content plateaus" whilst career management focuses on upcoming organizational deliberate planning or succession planning thus, organizational career management practices are ought to be packaged collectively rather than utilized in segregation to attain optimistic career approach. (LILLIAN T. EBY, Tammy D. Allen, Andi Brinley, 2005) 6. Recommendations It is apparent from study of the literature provided by the various researchers that career management in an organization is supposed to be a cooperative endeavor among the organization and entity employees. Some researchers had argued that formal organizational career management procedures are excessively restricted and cart off the capability of individuals to self-administer their careers. (MAYO, Andrew, 1991) While this might be accurate for organizations that strive to "do it all," a number of procedures are essential in array to take advantage of the employee's vow to the organization. When organizational endeavors are intentional, functions, errands and expectations are transparent and workers are more enthusiastic to take accountability as they are familiar with their position in the progression. (MAYO, Andrew, 1991) Organization must also drive further than the customary scaffold and generate novel practices to persuade career development. Remaining stagnant in the conventional career way of thinking might put down the organization in the rear when trying to vie for talent in the middle of a labor deficiency. Consequently, organizations may perhaps take numerous steps to proffer improvement opportunities all the way through career management programs. 7. Conclusion Career management is one of the most important aspects of management that organizations need in order to empower employees for maximum productivity. There are many benefits associated with career management and development. Organizations benefit through improved work place performance hence increased output, retention of valuable employees and many other benefits. Employees on the other hand benefit from the diversity of knowledge and experience gained in the work place which boosts their job security, increased chances of promotion as well as experience that is essential in the labor market in general. As of today, Careers have misrepresented owed to busted confidence amid employees and organizations regarding enduring job permanence and faithfulness Whereas organizations of the earlier period harvest faithfulness through employment permanence within the organization, contemporary organizations harvest workers faithfulness by assisting them to sustain their employability. Organizational career management should be a continuing attempt that merges informal as well as formal activities that are adequate to the dimension, ethnicity and category of organization. This paper has highlighted the mutual accountability required in developing an employee's career all along with a variety of methods and actions to comprise in career management programs. Though researches exist for realistic execution and appliance of organizational career management, the resources are restricted. 8. Bibliography ANDERSON, Donald L. 2009. Organization Development: The Process of Leading Organizational Change. 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